by Journalist, under NEWS 
TV ratings are down across the board this season — in some cases, by a lot, even for big shows — so I'm not sure what constitutes an acceptable Nielsen number any more. Whatever criteria ABC executives are using these days, I pray they renew "Suburgatory" (8:30 p.m. ET Wednesdays, ABC), which has emerged as one of the season's most delightful hidden gems.
The word "hidden" isn't quite accurate: It's been right there on ABC's schedule since September. But the media decided that "New Girl" (which is also quite entertaining) was the season's breakout hit, so Fox's Zooey Deschanel vehicle got the lion's share of the new-comedy coverage.
And that's fine, given that the lack of a spotlight has allowed "Suburgatory" to develop its characters and its consistently amusing comedic voice under the radar. But as the networks begin contemplating what to bring back next year (cancellations and renewals are typically announced in May), it's time to shine a light on the doings in the suburb of Chatswin.
If ABC executives are looking for a list of reasons to bring the show back (other than the fact that it fits in nicely with the show's Wednesday comedy slate), here are five:
The cast is one of the best comedic ensembles on TV. Creator Emily Kapnek, a veteran of "Parks and Recreation," has taken a page from that show's book and developed a wonderfully goofy community around George (Jeremy Sisto) and his daughter Tessa (Jane Levy), who moved to the 'burbs to get away from the craziness in New York City, only to find that their seemingly perfect new town is chock-full of neurosis, competition and insecurity. The reason "Suburgatory" works is that it gently skewers the residents of Chatswin without raking them over the coals. At the start of the season, the show's broad situations and unsubtle characters put me off, but "Suburgatory" has done a fine job of finding redeeming qualities in every resident, from the dumb-but-sweet jock Ryan Shay (Parker Young) to the hyper-manic uber-suburbanite Sheila Shay (Ana Gasteyer) and her long-suffering but wonderfully deadpan husband, Fred (Chris Parnell). There are still a few hitches here and there (for instance, Alan Tudyk is great, but his character, George's pal Noah, is like the Ann Perkins of "Suburgatory" — the show doesn't always know what to do with him or how douchey to make him). But these issues barely rise to the level of quibbles, given how satisfying the show's skewed world is, and how consistently "Suburgatory" shows amused affection for its comfortable yet needy characters.
Carly Chaiken and Cheryl Hines are comedy MVPs. From the pilot onward, Hines has brought great warmth and sweetness to the role of Dallas, a blinged-out "Real Housewife" of Chatswin with a heart of gold (or possibly fine crystal). Hines' deftness and her comic timing are impeccable, but then, we knew how great she was from her work on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." For me, the revelation of "Suburgatory" has been Chaiken as Dallas' daughter Dalia, who could have been a one-dimensional dumb blonde or high school beyotch but, thanks to smart writing and Chaiken's impressive skills, is one of the best things about the show. Chaiken has managed to do the near-impossible: She's taken a character who is intentionally very close to a superficial cartoon and given her a real inner life and even a kind of dignity.
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